“Tidbits From TNT” Tuesday Morning 2-3-2026

TNT:

Tishwash:  Iraqi retirees are angry about the delay in their pensions and are demanding that banking officials be held accountable.

On Tuesday, a number of retirees called on members of parliament to host those responsible for the delay in salary payments, particularly the directors of government banks, specifically Al-Rafidain and Al-Rasheed banks.

The retirees told Shafaq News Agency that the lack of financial liquidity, along with weak banking development, the failure to introduce modern technologies and keep pace with technology, have greatly contributed to the exacerbation of the crises, in addition to the absence of strategic plans and poor performance in banking work.

He pointed out that modernizing banking systems and adopting modern electronic means would increase revenues, strengthen the state treasury, and improve the level of services provided to citizens.

The retirees also called on the relevant authorities to take urgent measures to address the crisis and ensure the regular disbursement of salaries, given its direct impact on the living conditions of a large segment of citizens.

The Ministry of Finance had previously called on government banks to work on Friday and Saturday in order to boost funding and expedite salary payments, but this step did not achieve tangible results due to the continued shortage of liquidity and financial balance.  link

Tishwash:  48 hours to decide on the presidential candidate

The Coordination Framework gave the two main Kurdish parties (the Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union) a period of (48) hours to resolve their dispute over the position of President of the Republic, according to the official spokesman for the Victory Coalition, Aqeel Al-Rudaini.

Al-Rudaini said in a special statement to Al-Sabah: The Coordination Framework delegation played an important role in bringing the views of the two Kurdish parties closer regarding the issue of electing the President of the Republic.

He added that "the meetings held by the delegation produced positive indicators from the Kurdish side towards not maintaining the political deadlock, and moving forward to complete the constitutional entitlements within their legal frameworks."

Al-Rudaini explained that "the coordination framework gave the Kurdish parties a two-day deadline to end this deadlock and reach an agreement on the selection of the president of the republic in preparation for completing the rest of the constitutional requirements."

The Coordination Framework delegation returned to Baghdad yesterday evening after a series of important meetings with the leaders of the two Kurdish parties, in Erbil and Sulaymaniyah respectively.

The delegation included the head of the Reconstruction and Development Coalition, Mohammed Shia al-Sudani, the Secretary-General of the Badr Organization, Hadi al-Amiri, the head of the Foundation Coalition, Mohsen al-Mandalawi, in addition to the Secretary-General of the Coordination Framework, Abbas Radhi.

Informed sources told Al-Sabah that the meetings yielded positive results, with an agreement reached on establishing a framework for consensus between the two parties regarding the mechanism for selecting the president. This framework aims to prevent any escalation in the political process and ensure adherence to deadlines. 

Constitutional.

The delegation began its talks in Erbil with the President of the Kurdistan Democratic Party, Masoud Barzani, who stressed the need to define a clear mechanism for electing the President of the Republic, in order to ensure the stability of the political scene and avoid any disruption to national entitlements.

In Sulaymaniyah, the delegation met with the President of the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, Bafel Talabani. During the meeting, they reviewed national and regional developments and stressed the importance of unifying national positions and resolving the issue of the presidency in a way that contributes to the formation of a government that reflects the aspirations of all Iraqis and strengthens the path of reform, reconstruction, and development.   link

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Tishwash:  Muthanna Amin: Iraq is suffering from security and economic problems, and political decisions are contingent on reaching an agreement with Washington.

Muthanna Amin pointed out that the United States has a great influence on Iraq and the formation of the government, considering that if America is not persuaded, it will create problems for Iraq.

Muthanna Amin, a candidate for the presidency, told Kurdistan 24 on Sunday, February 1, 2026: “The United States has a major influence on Iraq and the formation of the government, and I believe that the coordination framework will change its candidate, Nouri al-Maliki.”

He added: "The only solution is for the coordination framework to engage in dialogue with the United States and convince it; otherwise, the US president will create obstacles for Iraq."

Muthanna Amin explained that Iraq is the worst country in terms of both security and the economy, stressing that "if it weren't for oil, Iraq would not have anything to eat."

The Iraqi parliament was scheduled to hold a session on Sunday to elect the president, but it was postponed for the second time.  link

Mot: Fellow Simply Stopped at a Traffic light - When ~~ stressed out woman

Mot: During a Sunday School Lesson~~~